3 Philadelphia Eagles who have to take the next step this season

The Eagles are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but they need these three players to raise their game if they want to lift the Lombardi Trophy. 

Jalen Hurts nearly led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory last season, but the team came up just short against the Chiefs in the biggest game of the year. Getting back to the Super Bowl is the clear goal for Nick Sirianni and his roster in 2023.

To accomplish that goal, Philadelphia must receive internal improvement from several players on the roster. Several veterans departed in free agency with big shoes to fill. That leaves an opportunity for young players to step up and prove their mettle.

The list of players who need to improve starts with an unproven linebacker who needs to become a tackling machine.

Eagles who need to take the next step: 3. Nakobe Dean

The Eagles invested a third-round draft pick on the former Georgia standout due to his high-end athleticism. It’s safe to assume they hoped for more than four solo tackles in Dean’s rookie campaign.

In fairness to Dean, T.J. Edwards limited him largely to a special teams role in 2022. Edwards’ decision to leave for greener pastures in Chicago means Dean is slated to take over his starting linebacker spot in 2023.

Dean needs to soak up a healthy percentage of the tackles Edwards made from the second level of the defense. He also needs to put his speed to good use to help this defense force more turnovers. It may take him a few games to truly settle into the increased workload, but his ceiling is higher than Edwards. The Eagles need to make sure his potential turns into production if they want to make a deep postseason run.